funnywildlife: Awww, walking the blind dog!!
9.17.12 The Down Stay
Louise: “Mommy, are you really going to make us lie here until you take all the garbage, recycle, and yard waste cans in from the curb?”
Sofie: “I can not believe that she is making us ‘stay’ when she gets to run all over the place and drag heavy looking things around!”
Louise: “Sometimes Sofie, life is just not fair. How would Mommy like it if we made her stay in one place while we ran up and down the driveway?”
Sofie: “You are so right Lulu, but if we get up she will be mad at us. I don’t like when Mommy is mad at me, she makes this really loud noise.”
Louise: “Ok, well I guess laying her in the cool grass under the shade of the tree isn’t the worst thing that could happen. She did just take us for a long walk and down to the river for a while. Maybe we should listen to her?”
Sofie: “I will. But only this once and you better give me your cookie after dinner.”
Louise: “Here she comes, make like you didn’t mind waiting.”
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
9.16.12 Inspiring Blog Award
How nice to receive an “Inspiring Blog Award,” from David Kanigan of Lead,Learn.Live Thank you very much, you David are the one that is inspirational. David says that by blogging he is trying to “share some of these “ah-ha” moments or inspirations that make him wonder, make him laugh or bring tears to his eyes.” Thanks for finding what we do here at DogDaz inspirational, because we get a lot from you too.
Awards are wonderful surprises. Along with many of them come some rules, so here they are and here are my answers:
(1) Link back to the person who nominated you: DONE above
(2) Post the award image to your page: DONE on right
(3) Tell seven facts about yourself: DONE below
Fact 1: I am gluten, dairy, and red meat free (I eat poultry and fish), but my animals are not.
Fact 2: Even when I clean my office, it is always a mess.
Fact 3: I have collected elephant paraphernalia since I was 4 and I never cared if the trunk was up or down.
Fact 4: If the family did not stop me I probably would have several more dogs.
Fact 5: When I was younger I dreamed of breeding a wolf/malamute hybrid and training them to be child protection dogs when children were out in the yard playing, so that no one would steal them. Weird huh?
Fact 6: Blogging has taken over as my number 2 hobby, next to the animals (but are they really a hobby?)
Fact 7: Sometimes I just can’t think of what to write, but then I do, and it all works out in the end.
(4) Nominate 5-10 other blogs, DONE below and, as always, I try to find new blogs that I have not awarded something to before, so here they are:
3. PetSign_cri
(5) Let them know they are nominated. PINGBACK – you’re notified. No really I will comment on their sites. LOL
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.15.12 The Rubythroated Gifts
Fall weather has come to the Mid-Atlantic. I want to show you my three rusty cats in the garden that hold up the raspberry canes and the late roses. They are very quiet cats and do their job very well.
Photo from Animal Picture Archives
I wish that I could show you the 2 humming birds that keep visiting the rusty cats the last few days. But, alas, I am not fast enough with the smartphone camera, so you will have to be happy with the flowers and a stock picture. These 2 green hummers keep flying together and sniffing the foliage and than twisting into the sky together: swirl, swirl, swirl, than off they go somewhere around the front of the house. I have tried several times to maintain a hummingbird feeder, but the ants take over, and it is just so much work to keep filling it daily with the sweet water, so I gave up. These beauties are a gift when they come to visit in the fall. And, some seem to come every year.
“Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Archilochus colubris, are probably the most common hummingbird in the world. They have the widest distribution of any hummingbird species, ranging from southern and central Canada in summer to as far south as northern Panama in winter. This is the only hummingbird species that breeds in the eastern U.S.” They tend to come visit us in the late summer and then move along.
I love when nature brings me gifts.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.14.12 The Power Of Touch
Sometimes, when I am feeling lonely, I look up and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue and the clouds kind of hang there, just so fluffy and white, with that little grayish blue undertone that makes them look like ice cream in cones, and that is when the universe reminds me that I am not alone. It is hard for me to remember sometimes that I am always in relation to something, always connected. I am in relations to the earth, and other humans, and the animals, and to myself. I heard a news report yesterday about the zillions of little microscopic organisms that live on our bodies, so even when you think you are alone, you are not (now that is kind of creepy). I wonder sometimes if I surround myself with furry pets so that, when the other humans are not around, I still have some life form with me to connect to. I am one of those people that needs to physically connect to other living things or I feel off balance. (There is actual medical advice now that supports prescribing four hugs per day to a patient suffering from depression. eight hugs per day to achieve mental stability and twelve hugs per day for real psychological growth. If this is the case, touch has a greater significance than most of us would realize. (US National Library of Medicine))
I replenish my energy through the cuddling of a cat and the petting of a dog. (Now I do not want you to think I am weird, I do mostly replenish my energies through my interaction with humans (especially my significant humans) but that is for another blog (this one is about animals, remember).) Each of my animals has their own way of asking and receiving physical contact from the humans and from each other. Lulu does not like a lot of petting, except from me, and she can be very demanding several times a day wanting to be rubbed and hugged and scratched. Sofie will lie on Louise, and Lulu can tolerate it for a few minutes, but then she gets up and moves to another spot (because that is all the connection Lulu can take). Sofie on the other hand, craves tummy rubs and hugs and will make sure to ask for them morning and night, from anyone and everyone. She will not go to sleep however, until she has had a few minutes of Mommy cuddle time. She will whine in her crate if I try to put her to bed without that physical connection. Sofie and Nine, the cat, do a lovey dance (at least the ones that I observe) fur to fur, several times a week. Cats lie on laps, dogs lie on feet, dogs lie on dogs…. you get the picture. The power of touch, the power of interconnection between living bodies, it is critical to the well being here at the zoo.
How about in your house? How do you and your furry friend physically connect? How many hugs a day do you need?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
9.13.13 Sofie Wants A Party Too
Sofie’s Rescue
Ride Home
March 2011
Sofie got jealous because yesterday I talked about how much I love Louise, and that I was planning a party for her 3rd birthday next month which is on Halloween (October 31).
“Hello new Mommy,
Can I come out of this cage now?”
OK Sofie, now Mommy will show off her little bitty baby, It was not that long ago that you actually came to live with us. March 2011. I did not have a car crate, so I brought you home in a large plastic tub (see picture). Since you are a rescue, and they thought you were going to be this big collie/shepard dog, they figured you were younger, based on your size (maybe 12 weeks). But now that I know you are more like a sheltie/corgie thing, you must have been older and I decided that your birthday would be around Thanksgiving; we will celebrate it on November 25. I will throw you a little party just like Lulu’s, but since all the kids will be home from college, you will have an extra special time. You know who (Peanut, the little human) will let you in her room and up on the bed, if you want to go, and also the bigger little human (K8) will be here to give you extra treats and let you out back a lot. You will have to wait your turn though, Sofie Bear. I know it is not easy because I was the youngest and had to wait a lot for the older ones who always seemed to get all the good things and all the attention. But your day will come. You are my ‘Little Bit,’ and Mommy adores your cute little whiney self. You are a sweet silly little girl with mischief on your mind. Your day will come, hang in there. But first you can help me plan Lulu Belle’s party.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
